Her Fragile Aura
by Zarius
Summary: In "Demolition Duel to the Death", Gloria Baker missed her moment. One day later, she's eager to get it, will a battle be won in the war of life as two agents work on perfecting a "fine wine"?


**M.A.S.K**

**"HER FRAGILE AURA"**

**WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

**A little something inspired by Gloria Bakers final appearance in M.A.S.K in the episode "Demolition Duel to the Death" where she and Buddy "Clutch" Hawkes had a strangely brief, but dignified and very sweet moment together. I never forgot that scene, and there have been few stories to elaborate on what this encounter could have really been about. Here's one such interpretation.**

**This story also reflects a personal fan theory I've had about Vanessa Warfield's role in the racing series. Read it, rewatch the episodes she is in, and see if you agree with me.**

**-Zarius**

* * *

"It's always nice to see you again Clutch" was what she said to him that night.

"_What an idiot" _Was what she instantly thought when she was left standing there on her own shortly afterwards, watching fellow M.A.S.K agent Buddy Hawkes, known to his friends nowadays as "Clutch", drive away in his truck Wildcat.

She kicked herself as he slipped out of her grasp. _"Another missed opportunity" _she thought to herself. _You had the perfect moment, there was even a SUNSET of all things, and you blew it with your pleasantries_

Gloria didn't want to curse that soft and delicate side of her for too long, it was the part of her that helped keep her head above water all these years.

Her fellow agents, her best friends, always managed to pull off some kind of light-hearted wisecrack or some words of wisdom to while away the taxing hours coping with a serious, and dangerous, situation. It was something she felt privileged to be a part of, and in moments of self-doubt, she would often look to this optimistic take on life, this healthy display of spirit and teamwork, and convince herself that someone as fragile as she was could continue to accomplish great things.

But that was what was troubling her…the fact she WAS fragile. So many instances she had displayed immense physical exhaustion when utilizing the powers of her mask "Aura" to maximum effect. She remembers the incident with the Statue of Liberty all too well, where she was quick to tax herself out protecting the statue from an explosion that never came to be, she passed out as soon as the danger passed.

She said she was fine when Dusty Hayes checked on her. She wasn't. Her mind was racing. It was pure luck that they were able to dispose of the bombs in time, for all she knew, Miles Mayhem could have circled around in Switchblade, converted to attack mode and blown her and Dusty clear out of the water, with no way of deflecting the attack because the focus was on protecting the statue. The focus was on the mission.

Gloria wanted to protect her friends, friends she loved more than anything…but the mission was of vital importance. Her real concern would have to take a backseat.

She couldn't help but compare it to the time Bruce Sato was able to life up a vast aircraft with seamless ease weeks before that incident, not displaying any exhaustion, he was in command of the moment, refusing to second-guess, his priority was everyone's safety, to prevent them and helpless villagers VENOM had enslaved from being crushed like ants, he succeeded, sending the craft plummeting into the depths of the ocean. She envied the control Bruce had, envied the stability.

She cursed herself for worrying too much then too. She wondered shortly after that and the incident with the Statue just how she could possibly continue to function in the team if all she could do was wilt like a flower.

And then Matt Trakker, the team's leader, started to take notice of her. She felt, for the first time since joining MASK, content.

There was, however, the occasional blip, like the time she let her emotions overcome her when Matt barely escaped with his life thwarting the advance of VENOM'S powerful Magna Mole, throwing her mask off and embracing Matt in full view of her team-mates, something that she would later describe as a professional embarrassment in her private diaries.

Thankfully, it didn't blossom into anything too serious, and it developed into a nice platonic bond, a mentor and student, a brother and a sister, Matt helped put her mind at ease, told her to focus, live in the moment, and achieve what she was capable of achieving. She blossomed into an effective agent, all while keeping up the soft ,cantered, caring aspects of her character, adding a sibling dynamic to not just the team, but Trakker's world, as she bonded well with Scott Tracker with the same traits, to the point Scott started calling her "sis" whenever she visited him on a day-off.

Indeed, things had worked out well all things considered.

But it worked too well for her tastes.

As world events got more and more crucial, and MASK met each challenge with unflinching optimisum, she found things had become just a tad too controlled, a tad too…restrained.

No matter how centred she was, and how prioritised she was, she was still, as nature commanded, a woman, and she had the needs of one. The need to love and to be loved.

And because of her deep affinity for caring and compassion, she required more than a typical, dateable boyfriend. She required a soul mate. And she could only find that within her network of fellow agents, her best friends.

And it wasn't long before she had set her eyes on one.

She found it ironic that she had fallen in love with Buddy…the Chameleon of the team. A master of blending into his surroundings with relative ease, someone who could hide behind more than a mere mask. She felt very connected to these traits, she felt they complimented her own psychological make-up, and she vowed that, when the opportunity came, she would let that man know just how much of an affect he was having on her, how he was making her feel like a fleshed-out human being on the team, and bringing her a sense of confidence and assurance.

She pictured the perfect moment in her head for so long, the moment she would tell him how she felt, and when it finally came to be that night, she figured it was a sure thing.

He was about to undertake a vital mission, a mission she was unsure could be pulled off without a hitch, a mission that required double-cross and trustworthiness. If it went wrong, the possibility existed for fatal repercussions. She didn't want Clutch to go into that mission without an assurance there was someone to come back to. That someone, she vowed, would be her.

The moment came, it went, and nothing happened between her and Buddy. She was even calling him by his nick name "Clutch" to sweeten the pot, and all she got was a guarantee he'd see her the next day. At MASK headquarters.

For him, it'd be just another routine day, for her, it'd be a reminder of that night and the part her weaknesses had played in it.

Part of her didn't want to go, but she thought long and hard about the ever so brief moment, and a line from Clutch convinced her tomorrow could be more than just another day.

"_it's only one battle in the war of life"_

As she pulled up her car at Boulder Hill, aka MASK headquarters, she could feel how tense she was. Nerves weren't new to her, she'd be fighting them all her life, and just like all those missions she'd undertaken feeling that way, she knew she'd have to keep them in check now.

Gloria entered the h.q's briefing room, just below the energizing chamber. She was alone.

A perfect moment in itself. This was a time to gather her thoughts. Thoughts about so many things, even things that held greater magnitude than a simple attempt at expressing to a co-worker how they felt.

So lost in thought was she, that she didn't notice someone else walking into the room and creeping up behind her.

"Boo" a soft voice uttered into her ear. Gloria jumped up in surprise, she turned around to strike a punch, but recoiled when she realized who it was.

It was Clutch.

"You startled me there" Gloria babbled, clutching her chest to calm herself.

"Just wanted to cut through the boredom with a knife. My bad" Clutch said apologetically.

"Well, did the mission go smoothly?" Gloria asked, wanting to know of the events of the previous night

"Consider Boris Buskin a full fledged member of the MASK team Gloria" Clutch proudly boasted

"So Lester The Lizard didn't suspect anything?" Gloria continued, referring to Lester Sludge, the VENOM agent that had been assisting the ruthless Vanessa Warfield in ambushing Clutch on the highway, all part of a master plan to test Boris "The Tsar" Bushkin and his vehicle "Bulldog" in the field by having him pose as a potential VENOM recruit.

"Not a buzz went through his brain" Buddy remarked, "He had no clue that Vanessa was in on the job helping us put Boris through his paces. He seriously thinks Vanessa hit Iguana accidentally and tailed it once Vanessa dismissed him. He follows orders like a puppy, weird given his preference for slithering"

"And Boris, have you told him?" Gloria continued. Clutch put up his hands and shook his head

"Are you kidding? He hasn't stopped bragging about how he took Vanessa and Sludge to school, if I told him a woman was helping us out, he'd feel down about that. His hearts in the right place, but he's one real chauvinist pig. I think you'll like him"

Gloria laughed, then found herself staring blankly past Clutch, staring into space. She composed herself and sat down, crossing her legs and putting one clasped hand to her chin, posing like a female variation on Michelangelo's "David". Clutch was baffled at her behaviour

"Gloria, what's the matter?" he asked, "You look…well…flustered. If it's about Vanessa being found out, you don't have to worry, she didn't pull any punches on me or Boris"

"That's the thing though" Gloria continued, "Warfield can slip into rattlesnake mode just like that, an easy fit for her. When she came to Matt and told him she was starting to sour a bit on VENOM, she made it clear it was only because she disagreed with a FEW things they were doing, she still has friends in that group, people she's close to, how can we fully trust her when she's only halfway up the stairs?"

"I know the feeling. Believe me. She gave me a scare at the demolition derby, almost mowed me over" Clutch confessed "To be fair, she probably did that because Bruno Sheppard was there, and she figured I'd be fast enough to duck Manta, but I agree, there's still plenty of rattlesnake skin she's going to have to shed eventually"

"I think everyone's losing their minds out there. They're all blurring the line between good and evil in order to win these blasted races" Gloria admitted, finally pouring out all those other thoughts she had been pondering over prior to Clutch appearing .

"I take it that's the reason you've left yourself out in the cold these last few months?" Clutch guessed.

Gloria nodded

"Ironic isn't it? The one agent who's done what you guys are currently doing all of her life, a champion race car driver, and I've declined an invitation to my kind of party to focus on foreign liaison duties with the PNA" she said, turning the chair around to meet Clutch face to face, "Crazy how you can let something fall off your lap the moment it falls into it"

"So why aren't you joining in?" Clutch asked. Gloria shrugged her shoulders.

"You know me, I like to keep my hobbies and my work separate from each other. I can handle the occasional mission involving say, a bomb at a grand prix, but when every single mission revolves around the same events, it sours my enjoyment of it, it ceases to be fun. If something went wrong, I wouldn't be able to join in a race again. Worse still, if I ever DO enter a race, I'll get special treatment because Matt, the "genius" that he is, made our identities public, and VENOM will take pot shots at people I'm close to on that circuit just to get at me"

"I never thought of it that way" Clutch admitted, feeling a tad guilty now for enjoying the last few months

"Don't feel too glum about it" Gloria replied, trying to reassure him "I'm really proud of the work all of you are doing, and I get a kick out of watching the action unfold on TV or in the stands, gives me a different feeling than just being right in the midst of the action. I'm content to be an observer, really I am"

"But it's not what you want to be doing is it? I know you Gloria, you want to be involved somehow in the day to day routine

"You can read me that well huh?" Gloria remarked half-cynically, but deep inside herself, felt like punching the air in exuberant excitement at the idea Buddy understood her so well.

"What do you say Gloria? All it takes is a little talk with Matt or Alex and they can set it up for you" Clutch offered. Gloria shook her head and declined, "Work and fun don't go together as easily as Peanut Butter and Jelly, sorry"

There didn't seem to be much else to say after that. Gloria knew she was missing her moment, and it frustrated her all the more that she still couldn't tell Clutch what was really on her mind.

Clutch tapped his fingers on the table awkwardly while Gloria slumped her head over her arms and continued her star gazing, feeling down, and worse, incredibly bored.

Clutch wasn't about to let tension build while he was around. He had an idea, one that may just fill up the metaphorical half-empty glass Gloria was hoisting around with her.

"Say, I'm expecting Alex to come over to debrief me, I've got time to kill, do you want to help me fix up a car? Like the old days?" he offered. Gloria stood up and looked at Clutch, who seemed zoned out by her warm expression.

"Tell you what, why don't you try your hand on Shark?" Gloria asked. Clutch was surprised and interested at the notion of putting

"Shark huh? That's a challenge." Clutch remarked "You sure you don't want that thing recycled by now? Technology has moved up since it's heyday"

"I've had a new one in the shop for some time now, but Shark was my first vehicle. I'd like it to grow old with me" Gloria replied. Clutch admired her loyalty to the old thing.

"Then let's make her a fine wine" Clutch vowed, and set himself to work.

Suggesting that they dress more appropriately for a task like this, Clutch and Gloria grabbed some mechanic overalls. Because he was usually the only mechanic qualified to work at Boulder Hill, his overalls were tailored only for him.

When Gloria showed up, she found it a less accommodating fit.

"You look like you've worn out their welcome" Clutch joked as he observed Gloria's overalls.

"Very funny" Gloria responded, putting her hands on her hips, however the sleeves were so long they were concealing them, making her look incredibly clownish.

Gloria eventually took to rolling the sleeves up. Her arms would just have to put up with the oil stains as she set to work on the car.

As Clutch opened up the hood and began inspecting the engine. Gloria slid onto a wooden slab and positioned herself beneath Shark so she could work on it from her end.

"Pass me a wrench Clutch" she requested, Clutch obliged and handed her one, Gloria commenced adjusting a few screws around, and sure enough, it wasn't long before oil was dripping on her face

"If any oil is dripping on your face, be sure to cover your eyes" Clutch advised. Gloria, having done so as soon as the dripping had started, didn't need the words of wisdom

"What are you, a walking public service announcement?" Gloria remarked, wiping the oil from her

"Now let's see, yeah, yeah this should be adjusted…" Clutch said to himself, putting his hand down a vital part of the engine.,…suddenly, he froze

"Uh-Oh" he said.

"What is it?" Gloria asked from beneath the car

"I'm stuck" Clutch replied, tugging hard to remove his hand from a place he had lodged it in.

Gloria threw the wooden slab forward and threw herself off it, she tried helping Clutch move the hand, but to no avail

"I think I can shake it loose, but I need some momentum to get it going" Clutch said, his face in all kinds of contortions as he felt the pain race through him.

"Here, let me moisten it" Gloria said, spitting on the wrist of the trapped hand, "Tell you what, I'll pull you from the back, and you try to loosen it"

She went behind Clutch and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Pull" she ordered. Clutch obeyed .Gloria stretched as hard as she could, almost lifting up Clutch as she did so. Eventually, after some tugging and twisting, Clutch came loose, but the two were sent tumbling backwards and fell onto one another in a pile. As they gathered their senses and looked into one another's eyes, they started laughing. The laughter went on for quite a bit, at least until Gloria noticed red liquid dripping on the floor, she looked at Clutch, and then looked directly at a large gash in his hand, which was bleeding profusely.

"Oh no, you're hurt" Gloria said, examining the bleeding hand.

"I'll be fine Gloria really" Clutch insisted stubbornly "Gee, of all the times for me not to have my Penetrator mask" he added, offering up some light commentary on the matter.

"A pity I couldn't shield you with Aura" Gloria remarked in equal jest. "You're also lucky I don't pass out at the sight of blood"

Gloria fetched the medical kit from the intensive care unit of the base and, ince the two were settled back in the briefing room, set to work on wrapping a tight bandage around Clutch's hand

"There, should be good as new in a few days" Gloria remarked, clasping her warm hand into his. Clutch noticed a trickle of oil on Gloria's nose, he wiped it off with his thumb. Gloria laughed.

"Sorry for making a mess of today Gloria, I was only trying to brighten your spirits" Clutch said apologetically.

Gloria couldn't help but analyze Clutch's actions. Here was a man capable of blending into his surroundings so easily, and here he had successfully blended her into his own world, and in doing so, brought back old memories of a life she once excelled at, and for some reason now, she couldn't wait to get back into full time.

She had picked the right man. Now all she needed was the right moment.

"It's ok" , she said, "All it proves to me is anyone can be fragile. Thank you Buddy"

The two looked into each others eyes, Clutch wasn't entirely sure what was going, Gloria, however, did. Their faces etched closer and closer to one another, Gloria's moved her lips to his.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

"I say chaps, what's happened here?" came the kindly tone of a posh British accent. Gloria and Buddy turned around, it was Alex Sector. MASK's computer and communications expert, who had finally arrived to debrief Clutch.

"Nothing Alex, we were just getting to grips with a classic" Clutch explained, and explained his desire to help Gloria polish up Shark.

"I see, well you'd best get yourself cleaned up" Alex suggested "Matt is requesting you, Boris and a few more agents travel to Baja to participate in an important race there. We believe VENOM are planning to kidnap the son of "El Presidente", he's entering the race in Goliath at Matt's insistence, but he could do with some back-up"

"I'm on it Alex" Clutch replied

As Alex turned to leave, Clutch looked at Gloria, who was looking at Shark with a faint smile on her face, she was lost in thought, . Clutch could tell she wanted this day to continue.

"Gee Gloria, I'm really sorry" Clutch said, twiddling his fingers anxiously, and examining the cut Gloria had nursed.

"It's alright. Get to work" Gloria said, understanding the responsibility of a MASK agent all too well.

"For what it's worth Gloria, I had a great time today, we could always do this again. If you're free" Clutch suggested. He reached out to grab her hand "It was really nice seeing you again"

Gloria smirked. The moment had arrived.

"It's _always_ nice to see you again Clutch" Gloria said with a bright, fresh smile and love in her eyes, and, with a swift yank of Clutch's collar, pressed him close to her face and locked lips with his own.

In a span of several seconds, an eternal memory was etched in the minds of both MASK members. Gloria let Clutch go and promptly went after Alex, with the intent of asking he fulfil a specific request, a request that would keep her and Clutch on literal track for the foreseeable future.

Clutch, in the meantime, was left staggering, not knowing what sort of world he was in, was he dreaming, or was this real?

"_What just happened?" _was the thought that instantly came to his head, followed swiftly by another, more interesting question _""What just happened…and why did I like it?"_

As he watched Gloria walk out of the garage, skipping along the pavement and audibly giggling to herself, Clutch began piecing together what happened the previous night, what she was doing there, and what he had said to her.

If life was a war, he may have just experienced peacetime.

All while lost in her fragile aura.

**THE END**


End file.
